If you're not familiar with this story, a new law school grad had apparently accepted a job with a small Boston criminal defense firm. She then decided that "the pay you are offering would neither fulfill me nor support the lifestyle I am living," and told the hiring firm so with a late Sunday night email and voice mail message.

An email exchange ensued between the two parties, with the young lawyer declaring that she wanted to "reap 100% of the benefits that I (sic) sew." (And thus reinforcing my belief that there should be basic spelling and grammar courses at the college level. Where they also cover things like homonyms and homophones.)

After about five emails back and forth, Ms. Abdala (the law school grad) sent a simple phrase as a final retort: bla bla bla. Yes, the email equivalent of sticking your tongue out at the other person, or perhaps sitting with your hands over your ears, screaming "I can't hear you!"

And she didn't even spell it correctly. If you're going to be snippy or snotty in an email, at least learn to spell "blah blah blah."

She sounds like someone you would really want to pay a big retainer to defend you in a criminal case. A big brat. Who can't even spell.

I can picture it now...mid-trial, she objects to something, the judge overrules, and she declares "tell it to the hand."

Of course, the situation did not end there. The hiring attorney, in rightful disbelief over the whole situation, forwarded the exchange to a friend. Who then forwarded it to someone else. Soon it was all over the Boston legal community. And then the web.

Yes, he was a little arrogant in doing that. But it's a perfect demonstration of the power of email and the ease with which correspondence spreads like wildfire in today's world.

I think he's lucky he saw her true colors before she actually came to work for him. I just hope she learns that you should think before you act, because any fame she's getting from this will quickly die down, and all that is left is a bratty little girl with a reputation for email raspberries.